PKK founder Ocalan moved to a new section of his island prison

Turkey moved Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), to a newly built section of the Imrali prison where he has been held for 27 years, pro-Kurdish legislators said.

"The process cannot proceed with unilateral expectations and demands," said Mithat Sancar of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, who said the move calls for speeding up a peace process paused for two months.

— Mithat Sancar, DEM Party

Fellow DEM politician Pervin Buldan played down the move, saying the new facility is part of the prison and does not on its own define Ocalan's status.

Background

The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, in a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people, and announced its dissolution after Ocalan called on it to disarm.